Harry and Meghan meet Bondi Beach survivors in Sydney
Harry and Meghan met bondi beach survivors and emergency responders in Sydney on Friday morning ET, beginning the final day of their Australian visit with a stop at the Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke with people affected by the December attack, as well as representatives of the Sydney Jewish Museum and volunteer lifeguards who responded to the scene.
Bondi Beach meeting centers on survivors and responders
The couple arrived at the beach club in Sydney during the fourth day of their Australian trip and met volunteer first responders from the Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club. They spoke with Jessica Chapnik Khan and Elon Zizer, both of whom survived the attack while shielding their children.
The meeting took place at the same beach where 15 people were killed and 40 injured at a Hannukah event in December. Bondi lifeguards, who were described as heroes for protecting members of the public during the attack, also met the couple. Representatives of the Sydney Jewish Museum, which is opening an exhibition dedicated to the attack, were present as well.
Private visit with public moments in Sydney
The visit to bondi beach came as Harry and Meghan continued a private Australian tour that has also taken them through eastern cities including Canberra and Melbourne. After the Bondi meeting, they later headed to Sydney Harbour for a sailing event with members of Invictus Australia.
At the harbour, the couple were welcomed by fans near the Sydney Opera House before boarding a boat for the outing. They met veteran Joel Vanderzwan, who gave them customised flip-flops with the messages ‘G’day Hazza’ and ‘G’day Megs’. Harry joked that he usually receives “budgie smugglers” from Invictus Australia.
Reactions from museum and Invictus figures
Shannon Biederman, senior curator at the Sydney Jewish Museum, said it was “really special” to have Harry and Meghan visit. Michael Hartung, chief executive of Invictus Australia, called their return to Sydney Harbour a “full-circle moment”.
The couple also headed onto the water on a vessel designed to be wheelchair-accessible so injured veterans could board. The trip is their first to Australia since Prince Harry announced in 2018 that the country would host the Invictus Games, a competition he founded in 2014 for wounded military veterans.
What happens next
Harry and Meghan are expected to continue their final-day commitments in Sydney, including more managed private appearances. Their bondi beach stop has already set the tone for the close of the visit: a mix of private diplomacy, public attention, and direct contact with people tied to one of the most painful attacks in the city’s recent memory.
